Pandora's box or panacea? Using metaphors to create the public representations of biotechnology

Public Understanding of Science

Volumn 11, Issue 1, 2002, Pages 5-32

  Liakopoulos, Miltos ^a  

^a Europ Acad Stud Consequences S   (Germany)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; BIOTECHNOLOGY; HISTORY; INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION; LITERATURE; PUBLIC OPINION; PUBLICATION; UNITED KINGDOM;

BIOTECHNOLOGY; COMMUNICATION; GREAT BRITAIN; HISTORY, 20TH CENTURY; HISTORY, 21ST CENTURY; METAPHOR; NEWSPAPERS; PUBLIC OPINION;

EID: 0036358963     PISSN: 09636625     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1088/0963-6625/11/1/301     Document Type: Article

References (29)

1. D. R. Swason, "Toward a Psychology of Metaphor," in On Metaphor, ed. S. Sacks (London: The University of Chicago Press, 1979).
2. See S. Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, translated by J. Strachey (London: Penguin Press, 1991).
3. W. A. Shibles, Metaphor: An Annotated Bibliography and History (Whitewater, Wisconsin: The Language Press, 1971).
4. T. Cohen, "Metaphor and the Cultivation of Intimacy," in On Metaphor, ed. S. Sacks (London: The University of Chicago Press, 1979).
5. A. Ortony, "Metaphor, language, and thought," in Metaphor and Thought, ed. A. Ortony (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).
6. M. Black "More about metaphor," in Metaphor and Thought, ed. A. Ortony (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).
7. See, G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, Metaphors We Live By (London: The University of Chicago Press, 1980), and G. Lakoff, Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things (London: The University of Chicago Press, 1987).
8. See, G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, Metaphors We Live By (London: The University of Chicago Press, 1980), and G. Lakoff, Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things (London: The University of Chicago Press, 1987).
9. Lakoff, Metaphors We Live By.
10. See S. Glucksberg and B. Keysar, "Understanding Metaphorical Comparisons: Beyond Similarity," Psychological Review, 91, 1, (1990): 3-18.
11. For a review of attitude formation in new technologies, see D. L. Daamen, I. A. Van der Lans, and C. J. Midden, "Cognitive Structures in the Perception of Modern Technologies," Science, Technology, and Human Values 15, 2, (1995): 202-205.
12. Lakoff, Metaphors We Live By.
13. See J. Turney, Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics, and Popular Culture (London: Yale University Press, 1998).
14. This particular idea proved exciting enough to produce some popularization of science bestsellers, e.g., R. Dawkins, The Selfish Gene (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976).
15. See D. Nelkin and M. S. Lindee, The DNA Mystique: The Gene As A Cultural Icon (New York: W. H. Freeman, 1995).
16. See J. Goodfield, Playing God: Genetic Engineering And The Manipulation Of Life (London: Hutchinson, 1977); L. C. Plein, "Popularizing Biotechnology: The Influence of Issue Definition," Science, Technology, and Human Values, 16, 4, (1991): 474-490.
17. See J. Goodfield, Playing God: Genetic Engineering And The Manipulation Of Life (London: Hutchinson, 1977); L. C. Plein, "Popularizing Biotechnology: The Influence of Issue Definition," Science, Technology, and Human Values, 16, 4, (1991): 474-490.
18. See M. W. Bauer, J. Durant, and G. Gaskell, "Biotechnology in the public sphere: a comparative review," in Biotechnology in the Public Sphere: A European Sourcebook, ed. J. Durant, M. W. Bauer, and G. Gaskell (London: Science Museum, 1998).
19. Among the most interesting works looking at different aspects of imagery in the debate are: Nelkin and Lindee, The DNA Mystique; S. Lundin and M. Ideland, eds., Gene Technology and the Public: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 1997); J. Turney, Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics, and Popular Culture (London: Yale University Press, 1998); L. Kay, Who Wrote The Book Of Life? A History Of The Genetic Code (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000).
20. Among the most interesting works looking at different aspects of imagery in the debate are: Nelkin and Lindee, The DNA Mystique; S. Lundin and M. Ideland, eds., Gene Technology and the Public: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 1997); J. Turney, Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics, and Popular Culture (London: Yale University Press, 1998); L. Kay, Who Wrote The Book Of Life? A History Of The Genetic Code (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000).
21. Among the most interesting works looking at different aspects of imagery in the debate are: Nelkin and Lindee, The DNA Mystique; S. Lundin and M. Ideland, eds., Gene Technology and the Public: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 1997); J. Turney, Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics, and Popular Culture (London: Yale University Press, 1998); L. Kay, Who Wrote The Book Of Life? A History Of The Genetic Code (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000).
22. Among the most interesting works looking at different aspects of imagery in the debate are: Nelkin and Lindee, The DNA Mystique; S. Lundin and M. Ideland, eds., Gene Technology and the Public: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 1997); J. Turney, Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics, and Popular Culture (London: Yale University Press, 1998); L. Kay, Who Wrote The Book Of Life? A History Of The Genetic Code (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000).
23. For a detailed description see, J. Durant, M. W. Bauer and G. Gaskell, eds., Biotechnology in the Public Sphere: A European Sourcebook (London: Science Museum, 1998).
24. The print media offered wide-circulation media representative of major socio-political and scientific views: The New Scientist is a magazine dedicated to popularizing scientific discoveries and developments. It focuses on scientific issues and is run by an editorial team with academic backgrounds in natural sciences. Often, scientists implicated in core research contribute articles describing their work. As a media outlet with an interest in debates on new technologies, the New Scientist embraces opinions in addition to hard facts. With a circulation of 80,000 and a readership profile covering all ages (National Readership Profile, 1996), it reaches a wide audience interested in scientific issues. Moreover, the magazine usually covers biotechnological issues, the total number of articles focusing on biotechnology reaching 500 in 1995. The Economist focuses mainly on financial and economic issues. It covers all aspects of economy, such as industrial indices, the stock market, trade and monetary policy, and offers detailed analysis and forecasting. It occasionally covers scientific and technological developments, especially if they are implicated in economic life. It is a highly opinionated magazine that is widely respected by its target audience. Its readership consists mainly of high-income males with top management positions covering all age groups (Willing's Press Guide [London: Haywards Heath, 1997]). In 1996, the circulation of the Economist reached 100,000 copies (National Readership Profile, 1996). Biotechnological issues are covered regularly, reaching 100 articles in 1995. The Independent is an opinion-leading daily newspaper focusing on current affairs. It is considered opinion-leading in the sense that it is an agenda-setter in the media as The Times was before 1987 (see, M. Bauer, J. Durant, G. Gaskell, M. Liakopoulos, and E. Bridgeman, "United Kingdom," in Biotechnology in the Public: A European Sourcebook, ed. J. Durant, M. W. Bauer, and G. Gaskell (London: Science Museum, 1998). It holds no political or other affiliation and covers every issue of general or specific concern. It is believed that journalists of other newspapers do read The Independent to get a "feel" for worthwhile news. It has a circulation of 250,000, and a relatively young audience. Moreover it shows very intense and particular coverage of biotechnological issues. The extent of its coverage is shown in the fact that, in 1995 alone, it had 700 articles on biotechnological issues.
25. For fundamentals of content analysis, see K. Krippendorff, Content Analysis: An Introduction to its Methodology (London: Sage, 1980).
26. The identification of metaphors linked to biotechnology provides an inventory of biotechnology metaphors. The order in which they are presented does not denote their frequency. Frequency of metaphor use is not of particular interest in this research since the type of biotechnological development metaphors utilized to describe it can be biased. The main interest of the research lies in the invariable aspect of metaphor use. As part of representation formation, metaphors have a basic function that is independent of how often they appear in the media. What is a rare appearance today might be a common occurrence tomorrow, provided there is fertile ground for its development.
27. Nelkin and Lindee, The DNA Mystique.
28. See Bauer et al., "United Kingdom."
29. D. Nelkin, Selling Science: How The Press Covers Science And Technology (New York: W. H. Freeman, 1987).